Calling Mac fanboys

[cellardoor6]

I'm an avid PC/Microsoft user, I won't try to deny that. However my bias has developed after many years of having firsthand experience with both Apple/Macs and Microsoft/PC products, where I have developed a good point of reference. I tend to get two similar products from both sides and compare them to actually see which one is the best, or at least the best for my needs. (I've done this with the Zune vs iPod issue twice: 1, 2)

In February I bought a brand new HP Pavilion Laptop. I'm incredibly satisfied with it so far, I bring it to work everyday and I can run all the software that I currently need to do my job. I can also run the latest games, and I have all sorts of awesome programs bundled etc. However, I keep hearing people at work rave about their fucking Macbooks. The people with MacBooks have created a little geeky clique and they like to make periodic, snide remarks about all the PC users and their PC laptops in the office.

So I bought a MacBook Pro the other day to see what the hell they are talking about. Some of its specs are actually better than my HP laptop; for instance it has a 2.4gz dual core compared to the 1.6ghz dual core in the HP. But I'm not impressed yet at all. The MacBook doesn't run noticeably faster or anything.

Someone care to tell me exactly what the appeal is? What am I not utilizing? Is the programs? Because I'm not impressed with Garageband or iVideo. I have programs that are better for both music making and video editing, and they were either free downloads or were bundled.

Also, I hear people say the MacBook is sexy, but I don't think so. I think my HP is way, way more aesthetically pleasing than the bland gray MacBook.

Discuss.

[RageVI]

Price != Quality

Apple is able to shove price hikes down their customers' throats because of the nature of their closed hardware platforms.

That's about it. There's no reasonable way to build a laptop yourself, but at least with the "PC" platform, you're able to get way more bang for the buck thanks to a competitive market in both manufacturing the laptops and the hardware that runs them..

[Kalibur]

You get the total satisfaction of being Justin Long, and not that TOTALLY NERDY PC GUY LOL

[Grubby]

Macs suck.

The end.

[yurgenburgen]

Although I love my iPod, I think all this current worshipping of anything with an apple on it is a fad which people need to get over. I too have used Macs (although I don't own one) and I wasn't blown away either. I mean, yeah they're cool to look at and they've got some good stuff but they've never even nearly persuaded me to switch to using them permanently.

Out of interest, what video editing program do you use? I use Adobe Premiere so I'm always looking out for software which might be better than it.

[crayolabites]

Mac OS X is the first real desktop Unix with end user applications. I can hack a Python script, run a J2EE server, develop a Cocoa GUI app, keep track of things in Excel, write proposals in Word, tweak images in Photoshop, and listen to music in iTunes. All at the same time. In fact, I'm my desktop is showing that I'm doing exactly that. And it's a native Unix, not some glommed on thing like MKS or Cygwin (with all due respect to the accomplishments that those products bring to the Windows platform).

Apple is innovating harder than anybody else out there in the personal computer landscape. They've been pushing the state of the art through the downturn of the last few years when other PC vendors innovations have all revolved around... well, what the heck have they been doing? For example, wireless has become the biggest buzz this year, after being a pretty big buzz last year. Yet I've been doing it since 1999. It's been part of my life (and the lives of lots of people around me) since 1999 because of Apple pushing the tech first. Rendezvous. Syanc. Bluetooth. The list goes on. And the hits keep on coming.

:) but really it's all opinion...

[Grubby]

Mac OS X doesn't suck at all.

It's probably one of the best Operating Systems ever.

However, the price of the hardware is just outrageously priced.

For about $200 less, I can build a PC that is 3 times more powerful than the lowest end iMac.

Holy shit Apple, price your computers more reasonably.

[HahaBears]

Apple only survives on hype. Anyone that actually will use their computer for things other then the norm should own a PC.
Also I despise how people say that Macs are good looking. MOAR LIKE BORING AMIRITE?

I have an iPod, which is decent, but I still think it's ugly as hell.

[TropicalParadise]

At 4/24/08 08:06 PM, crayolabites wrote: Mac OS X is the first real desktop Unix with end user applications. I can hack a Python script, run a J2EE server, develop a Cocoa GUI app, keep track of things in Excel, write proposals in Word, tweak images in Photoshop, and listen to music in iTunes. All at the same time. In fact, I'm my desktop is showing that I'm doing exactly that. And it's a native Unix, not some glommed on thing like MKS or Cygwin (with all due respect to the accomplishments that those products bring to the Windows platform).

You... have good reasons. Mine are more superficial. I like it because it's pretty. I like that I can have my email in Mail and then my calendar in iCal and that they are so streamlined that events are ridiculously easy to make and my whole life can be planned. iPhoto doesn't ever need any drivers or anything and whenever I have tried to use a camera on a PC i have to download a bunch of crap. iMovie is simple and efficient.

It's a status thing really. I'm instantly more intrigued by a fellow mac user than I am by someone you uses a PC.

[americanidiot2f]

Thanks for that opinion.

I really need a new computer, either a PC (Vista) or a Mac. I have been hearing so many things about them. Mac is faster, NO VISTA IS BETTER, Mac is more artistic (which I do a lot of computer graphics), Vista can get viruses, Mac is virus-free, Vista has so many problems, Mac isn't compatable with anything.

Seriously, I need an opinion from someone who had both.
I am probably going to get a Vista basically because of the cost.

[Warrickneff]

At 4/24/08 07:57 PM, cellardoor6 wrote:
The people with MacBooks have created a little geeky clique and they like to make periodic, snide remarks about all the PC users and their PC laptops in the office.

Haha. That's absolutely classic. I try to join in the Linux clique around my group of friends and they shun me because I use OSX.

Someone care to tell me exactly what the appeal is?

I think the appeal may come from a lower level consumer standpoint. I've also had first-hand experience with both, and I tend to believe that Macs might be more straightforward for someone without the same kind of technological knowledge users of an NG forum might have. It might aim for the lowest common denominator. (AKA people with money like parents?)

What am I not utilizing? Is the programs?

You must be missing out on the "Hipster glasses and goatee at the coffee-shop while smooth jazz plays in the background simultaneously application". Ha.

Because I'm not impressed with Garageband or iVideo. I have programs that are better for both music making and video editing, and they were either free downloads or were bundled.

Garageband and iVideo took a lot of playing before I appreciated them even a little. While Apple does play up the ease of their use, it is a point that I disagree with. Someone that casually wants to mess around can't do so without knowing the inner workings and limitations of each program. I find that iVideo is especially limiting in the sort of things I can do.

Also, I hear people say the MacBook is sexy, but I don't think so. I think my HP is way, way more aesthetically pleasing than the bland gray MacBook.

I suppose that's just a matter of opinion. I think the bland grey fits in with a type of scene. You could picture a Mac sitting on an Ikea table, if you get my drift. I like the looks, but I suppose it's ironic writing that from an Ikea chair/desk combo.

In terms of why I recommend a MacBook over other notebooks is usually stability. However, since the release of Leopard I've had more crashes due to read/write internal kernel errors, and my power management (battery life) has been shot to shit by an update they released and refuse to fix.

Maybe a large part of it comes down to the same reason people pay 30K more for a Mercedes-Benz than a Toyota. While there are a couple neat features that make it better, a lot has to do with the brand and style associated with it.

[WackyAnimation]

It has eye candy that people are not too used to. They feel that they are original for being in the minority. The best thing about macs though is that they do allow you to run other operating systems. If I had a macbook, it would have 3 partitions on it. OS X, Vista, and Ubuntu. Guess which one I would use the least? OS X.

[googlerox]

PC rox forevaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SniperWolf1564]

Macs are advertised to people who know nothing about computers, and those who are bound to screw something up badly (delete System32.)

I work with PCs in class. I don't even have to try to keep them from crashing, since they don't, unless you don't have enough RAM.

[cellardoor6]

At 4/24/08 08:06 PM, Grubby wrote: Mac OS X doesn't suck at all.

I don't consider anything about it to be better than Vista. It doesn't suck, but it doesn't wow me at all. It's rather bland, and there's not any functionality to it that's better than Windows.

It's probably one of the best Operating Systems ever.

How and why?

However, the price of the hardware is just outrageously priced.

Yes.

Holy shit Apple, price your computers more reasonably.

It's the Apple, the consumer appeal that makes it expensive. More demand means higher price. If Steve Jobs decided to package dog shit in a snazzy box with an Apple logo, loyal customers would still buy it and say it's the best thing ever.

[ExtraLife]

At 4/24/08 07:57 PM, cellardoor6 wrote: Because I'm not impressed with Garageband or iVideo. I have programs that are better for both music making and video editing, and they were either free downloads or were bundled.

seeing how as you don't even know the correct name of apples video editing software, it's a fair assumption that you dont really know shit about mac os x and didnt give it that much of a chance.

and thus your opinion on mac os x is biased and unfair.

Also, I hear people say the MacBook is sexy, but I don't think so. I think my HP is way, way more aesthetically pleasing than the bland gray MacBook.

Discuss.

ok. all i hear are opinions in which i actually couldnt care less about.

[LTmatt]

You were curious, so you bought a 21-hundred dollar machine?

But yeah, I also hate macs. They're expensive pieces of worthless shit. What's the point of having an 8800 GT and a terabyte of HD space when all I can do is fuck around with GarageBand and paint pretty pictures in MacPaint? It's like buying a Ferrari for a six-year-old.

[TropicalParadise]

At 4/24/08 08:12 PM, Warrickneff wrote:

At 4/24/08 07:57 PM, cellardoor6 wrote:
The people with MacBooks have created a little geeky clique and they like to make periodic, snide remarks about all the PC users and their PC laptops in the office.

Haha. That's absolutely classic. I try to join in the Linux clique around my group of friends and they shun me because I use OSX.

That reminds me of this xkcd comic, entitled "Linux users at best buy"

The author always has little side comments when you hover and this one said "We actually stand around the antivirus displays with the Mac users waiting for someone to ask".

[MinusNick]

I have the same exact Macbook, and I love it, lol.
I used to advocate Apple and crap, but then I had an astounding revelation: This is why people hate Mac users. My experiences with PC's have been few, but I haven't noticed any differences or anything.
That being said- get what ever the fuck computer you want, people, because the brand or OS shouldn't be the only deciding factor.

[Grubby]

Can Linux read more than 3 GB of RAM?

If it can, then I'll switch to Linux FOR SURE.

[cellardoor6]

At 4/24/08 08:12 PM, Warrickneff wrote:

What am I not utilizing? Is the programs?

You must be missing out on the "Hipster glasses and goatee at the coffee-shop while smooth jazz plays in the background simultaneously application". Ha.

I know those kinds of people, and I hate them. Funny that the trend of the appearance of the Macbook is more of a seller than the actual capabilities, yet all you hear is "my Mac can do this, twah..."

Because I'm not impressed with Garageband or iVideo. I have programs that are better for both music making and video editing, and they were either free downloads or were bundled.

Garageband and iVideo took a lot of playing before I appreciated them even a little.

Meh, maybe I'll have to wait a while and see how I feel after a month or so of using them.

While Apple does play up the ease of their use, it is a point that I disagree with. Someone that casually wants to mess around can't do so without knowing the inner workings and limitations of each program. I find that iVideo is especially limiting in the sort of things I can do.

I looked at some online tutorials for Garageband. But I'm not really impressed because there's all sorts of programs that are free that you can use on a PC that do the same thing.

In terms of why I recommend a MacBook over other notebooks is usually stability.

In my experience PCs are more stable. Several years ago I had an iMac and it crashed all the time. In highschool we had Macs in Infotech class and they crashed all the time too.

My Laptop has not frozen or anything since I've had it. But I'll wait and see what happens with the Macbook after I start installing shit and using it more heavily, so I can have a better comparison in that area.

Maybe a large part of it comes down to the same reason people pay 30K more for a Mercedes-Benz than a Toyota. While there are a couple neat features that make it better, a lot has to do with the brand and style associated with it.

Meh.

Pic #2

[TropicalParadise]

At 4/24/08 08:32 PM, cellardoor6 wrote: In my experience PCs are more stable. Several years ago I had an iMac and it crashed all the time. In highschool we had Macs in Infotech class and they crashed all the time too.

Apple has come a long long way from the iMac.

[crayolabites]

When it comes to stock systems, I find the Macintosh superior because of its life span. I have upgraded my PC five times in the last three years. Video card swaps are common for better gaming performance, and I don't not think that practice will stop any time soon, despite the fact that I own a Macintosh. Some Macs were road apples from the day they were born, while others have aged a lot more gracefully. Generally, the ones that age best seem to have robust hardware spread throughout the machine. With a Mac, you won't blow your whole budget on just a processor.

so really in the long run your paying about the same either way, just not directly

[SaltshakerClock]

What OS is it?

Because Leapord is alright, but Mac OS X is more comfortable.

[cellardoor6]

At 4/24/08 08:20 PM, ExtraLife wrote:

At 4/24/08 07:57 PM, cellardoor6 wrote: Because I'm not impressed with Garageband or iVideo. I have programs that are better for both music making and video editing, and they were either free downloads or were bundled.

seeing how as you don't even know the correct name of apples video editing software, it's a fair assumption that you dont really know shit about mac os x and didnt give it that much of a chance.

Um iVideo?

and thus your opinion on mac os x is biased and unfair.

And you're probably just a disgruntled Mac user.

Also, I hear people say the MacBook is sexy, but I don't think so. I think my HP is way, way more aesthetically pleasing than the bland gray MacBook.

Discuss.

ok. all i hear are opinions in which i actually couldnt care less about.

Yet apparently you cared enough to post a retarded response.

Also, the MacBook isn't that much thinner either, it's just flatter (straight lines). Just thought I'd get that out there.

[Patcoola]

oh god im probably going to regret posting here.

people like their mac's because to them they are having a better experience since the marjory of people are not that tech shabby to do the same thing with a pc.

say playing DVD's on a Mac or PC, mac wins out of the box.
some things we nerds fine easy, 90% of people fine hard.

example: 2 days ago i serviced a laptop, with 4 viruses and 280++ detections of spyware, the owner only had it for 2 weeks.

people like you or me will never have this problem with a pc, but for about 90% of people a mac looks like a good choose.

now for laptops, it's unlikely you'll see the performance difference, till you do 3D animation or heavy video rendering.

the macbookpro's cost is really in that $1000 intel processor, yes that's right.
and most people know that the mac will be ok out of the box 99% of the time as the others will have something wrong with them 15% of the time and almost 50% will break right after the warranty. plus apple's reputation of computers that live of ever.

there's really nothing great about ether computer, it's just a matter of personal preference.

[WingCommand]

you are not supposed to be satisfied with garageband. garageband is like the retarded younger brother of the better programs like Logic.

I think another reason is the virus protection.

One of the good things is that you can run Windows on your Mac (why would you do that). So the Mac can run games.

[gradenator]

That mac looks all dull and boring. The HP on the other hand, is a beast-- it's like a starship! I'll take the one with warp speed and photon torpedoes any day.

[klopatng]

On rare occasions, the Cellardoor6 will migrate from it's home in the Politics forum and enter the vast world of General.

[Grubby]

At 4/24/08 08:49 PM, WingCommand wrote: you are not supposed to be satisfied with garageband. garageband is like the retarded younger brother of the better programs like Logic.

I think another reason is the virus protection.

One of the good things is that you can run Windows on your Mac (why would you do that). So the Mac can run games.

Even though you run Windows on a Mac to play games, the hardware is so crappy and overpriced that the games aren't as stretched-out in terms of visuals and audio, and that detracts some fun and is a disadvantage when playing the game.

Macs aren't for Games.

Period.

If you use a computer to play Video Game, get a PC.

If you play video games on consoles, I suggest that you either get Linux or a Mac.